How do they do that? Shoot pistols fast that is.

[Doc Shapiro]

On TFS someone was wondering about slip hammering and as part of my response, I wrote up a little bit on the technique used to actually shoot fast.  It's tough to describe, so bear with me.

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How to describe the technique? At that speed, I don't think that you could consider it aiming. I'll try to describe...

Start, eyes focused on a small spot on the center of the target, 5 targets in front of you, normal CAS sizes and distances.
Draw.... Gun comes up to about the center of your chest (if you're shooting with a 2 handed grip, this is where your other hand meets it; if a 1 handed grip, then your other hand should be anchored). This part is done as fast as you can move. Once the gun gets about there, then sorta let it coast straight out toward the target. During this phase, the front sight should come into your peripherial vision. When you can verify that the sights are on target, break the shot.

Now, your eyes shift to the center of the next target. The gun will follow (this is the point at which you cock the gun). At some point you'll be able to verify that the sights are lined up on the target. When this happens, break the shot.

Repeat that last step until gun is empty.

You aren't really aiming. You're just verifying that the sights are lined up on target. The difference is a matter of focus and degree. When aiming, you spend time actually lining up the sights, it's done on the concious level. When verifying, you assume that the gun is in your correct master grip and that when it comes onto the target all you have to do is verify that they're lined up - on the subconcious level. Not aim, it's more of a check to make sure that your body alignment is good.

That's not to say that we don't have a sight picture for every shot. There is. It's just that we don't have to aim. Just verify alignment. Pulling the trigger to break the shot is a reaction to the stimulus of verifyed sight alignment. It happens automatically. In the subconsious. It's a simple stimulus response reaction. But it takes a lot of practice to make it so.

Keep practicing! You'll get there if you really want to.

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Hope this helps.

Doc

[Micheal Fortune]

Doc, you forgot to say:

"And it looks something like this":http://www.jspublications.net/vids/PistolMech.wmv